[Paper Review] The challenge of engaging all students via self-paced interactive e-learning tutorials for introductory physics

Seth DeVore, Emily Marshman+1 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jun 2, 2016

Experimental Learning in Engineering71 references4 citations

TL;DR

This study investigates the effectiveness of self-paced, research-based e-learning tutorials in introductory physics courses, finding that while these tools significantly help students in one-on-one settings, many enrolled students fail to engage deeply outside class. Despite being encouraged to use the tutorials for homework and quiz preparation, struggling students performed poorly on paired problems, indicating weak self-regulation and motivation in self-study environments. The paper proposes a theoretical framework to improve student engagement with self-paced learning tools through targeted support strategies.

ABSTRACT

As research-based self-paced e-learning tools become increasingly available, a critical issue educators encounter is implementing strategies to ensure that all students engage with them as intended. Here, we discuss the effectiveness of research-based e-learning tutorials as self-paced learning tools in large enrollment brick and mortar introductory physics courses. These interactive tutorials were developed via research in physics education and were found to be effective for a diverse group of introductory physics students in one-on-one implementation. Instructors encouraged the use of these self-paced tools in a self-paced learning environment by telling students that they would be helpful for solving the assigned homework problems and that the underlying physics principles in the tutorial problems would be similar to those in the in-class quizzes (which we call paired problems). We find that many students, who struggled in the courses in which these adaptive e-learning tutorials were assigned as a self-study tool, performed poorly on the paired problems. In contrast, a majority of student volunteers in one-on-one implementation greatly benefited from the tutorials and performed well on the paired problems. This suggests that many students enrolled in introductory physics courses did not effectively engage with the self-paced tutorials outside of class and may have only used them superficially. The findings suggest that many students in need of out-of-class remediation via self-paced learning tools may have difficulty motivating themselves and may lack the self-regulation and time-management skills to engage effectively with tools specially designed to help them learn at their own pace. We conclude by proposing a theoretical framework to help students with diverse prior preparations engage effectively with self-study tools.

Motivation & Objective

• To assess the real-world effectiveness of self-paced, research-based e-learning tutorials in large-enrollment introductory physics courses.
• To identify why students who need remediation through self-study tools often fail to benefit from them.
• To investigate the gap between tutorial effectiveness in controlled, one-on-one settings versus in-class, self-directed use.
• To explore the role of student motivation, self-regulation, and time-management skills in the success of self-paced learning tools.
• To propose a theoretical framework for improving student engagement with self-study e-learning tools in diverse learning environments.

Proposed method

• Implementation of research-based interactive e-learning tutorials in large, brick-and-mortar introductory physics courses.
• Encouragement of student use through alignment with homework and in-class quizzes (paired problems).
• Comparison of student performance on paired problems between self-studying students and those in one-on-one tutorial sessions.
• Use of paired problems—conceptually similar to tutorial problems—to assess transfer of learning.
• Analysis of student engagement patterns and performance outcomes to identify barriers to effective self-study.
• Development of a theoretical framework to guide future design and implementation of self-paced learning tools.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Why do many students in introductory physics courses fail to benefit from self-paced e-learning tutorials despite their proven effectiveness in one-on-one settings?
• RQ2 To what extent do students engage meaningfully with self-paced tutorials when using them independently outside of class?
• RQ3 How do self-regulation and time-management skills influence student performance on problems related to tutorial content?
• RQ4 What factors contribute to the discrepancy between tutorial success in controlled settings and in real classroom environments?
• RQ5 How can self-study tools be redesigned or supported to better engage students with diverse academic backgrounds and preparation levels?

Key findings

• Many students who struggled in the course performed poorly on paired problems, even though they were encouraged to use the tutorials for homework and quiz preparation.
• A majority of student volunteers in one-on-one implementation showed significant benefit from the tutorials and performed well on paired problems.
• The performance gap indicates that many students did not engage deeply with the tutorials and may have used them superficially in self-study settings.
• Students lacking self-regulation and time-management skills were less likely to benefit from self-paced tools, even when the tools were designed to support them.
• The findings suggest that self-paced learning tools are ineffective for many students without additional scaffolding or motivational support.
• The study concludes that a theoretical framework is needed to help students with diverse prior preparations engage effectively with self-study tools.